The Prussian

I found the army-odre in the book "Deutsche Sturmtruppen - Troupes d´assault allemandes" (Jean-Louis Lacarde) Point 1b says, that the MW troops wore shoulder straps with MW and the number!

By the way... I have a postcard exactly from that unit...

Hi Chris! You might be right with "We´ll never know", but we have a few facts and a few questions... The Sturm-Kompanie 13 was set-up 28.12.1916 by Gen.Kdo. I.AK. The Ersatz was: II.Ers./Gren.Rgt.4 (for Staff and storm-company) 4.Ers.MGK/I.AK (for machine-gun section) Pi.Ers.Btl.18 (for trench-mortar section) Well, we know, regular storm units wore their own numbers upon the shoulder straps, in this case a 13, BUT, if this is the regular Minenwerfer-Kompanie 13 (13.Inf.Div.), the would have been taken in the west. Please don´t laugh, but to me the straw-hats don´t look like western... The I.AK in july 1918 was in Ukrania. Another fact is, that the Minenwerfer wore the uniforms of the regular Minenwerfer.

no-one?

Thanks for the info, Odulf!

Got it, Paul! Mussolini gave him the patch after he came to Italy. It is the patch, called "Corporal of honour of the fascist militia" (Caporale d´onore della MVSN) MVSN = Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale Here is the favourite song about it:

Like me...

Hello! Wich italian patch does Adolf wear above the swastika, please?

Hello friends! What do you think about this photo? We see a soulder strap with MW 13. Minenwerfer-Kompanie 13. Really? The MWK13 belonged to the 13th Inf.Div. That only was in action at the western front. These guys wear mountain-trousers with leather patches. Units of the ID13 haven´t recieved those uniforms I assume we have the Sturmkompanie 13 and this is the MW-platoon. What do you think? Photo is dated july 1918

Hello Stefan! The Ehrenrangliste says, he fell near Sommy-Py (8km north of Souain). Next to Souain you´ll find a mixed french/german cemetery. Maybe that info helps you?

Hi Chip! You can do that with a clear conscience

Hi Chip! Shoulder straps with 701-703 are very interesting. They were set-up for Turkey and Palestine! I haven´t seen your 900 straps before! It´s 100% Fla-MG-Abt. Since august 1917 there were the so-called "Flamga". (Fliegerabwehr-Maschingewehr-Abteilungen 801-803, 901-921 and 925. The 801-803 were bavarian units. The prussian KM ordered, that these units have to wear the infantry-uniforms, that´s why they have the white pipings! They only had the number upon the straps! Very interesting pieces of your collection, Chip!!!!!!! Source: Kraus, vol.II, page 815 (chapter XI.5.Felduniform)

De nada, amigo. Yes, so the document will be quite rare

Hi Chris! The Inf.Rgt.614 was set-up in january 1917 (III.AK) I.Btl. from I.Feld-Btl. Witt II.Btl. from II.Feld-Btl. Scharf III.Btl. from Feld-Kompanien Freienwalde, Drossen, Werder and Templin 1.-3. MG-Komp. Under command of 507.Inf.Brig. Dissolved in march 1917. The bataillons came to the 43.Res.Div. The MG-Kompanien became MG-Ss-Abt. 66

Hi Don! I sent you a PM

Hallo Andreas! Richtig. ich war zu hastig... Deine Ãœbersetzung scheint zu stimmen! Vielen Dank!!!! Well, I was too quickly... Your translation might be right! Thanx a lot!!!

Hello Andreas! Thank you for your help, but I googled Hans-Lloyd. The factory was founded in 1919. That would not fit.

Hello! I´ve recieved this nice photo. It shows parts of a Kraftwagen-Kolonne in the desert. The reverse says: Taurus, Kl. Asien (Klein-Asien = Asia Minor) Auto-Colonne 507 5.April 1916 Kraftf. Fhr. G. Krüger (Kraftfahrzeugführer = Driver) K.K.R. Form. 508 (K.K.R. Formation 508) Questions: What does K.K.R. mean? What does the handwritten words on the right side of the card mean? The colums 507 belonged to the Kommandeur der Kraftfahrabteilung 8 and 508 belonged to the Kommandeur der Kraftfahrabteilung 6. Both stood under command of the Heeresgruppe Yildirim in Palestine

Hello Don! Patrick wrote me. He wants to appologize for the long waiting, but he has to make nearly hundred CDs and he has problems with his computer. It will take a little bit, but he won´t forget anyone.

Hi Don! I´ll give him a call today. This time he is very busy. We wanted to meet, but he canceled twice because of his work. He live only 30km from my home, but he works in dayshift, nightshift. It´s very hard to get him. I´ll care about it!

Hello! A nice MP! MG-Abt. are quite rare! A small addition: The MG-Abt.2 only belonged in peacetimes to the IR29. After mobilzation they became "mobile" and stood under command of the 3rd Cav.Div. (until august 1916), and then 2nd Cav.Div. (until january 1919) Durung the war they came temporary to other formations, like XIX.AK, HKK2, Gouv.Antwerpen, 42.ID, 25.Cav.Brig., k.u.k.V.Corps and 7th bav.Cav.Brig.

Hello! Yet! In the southern states like Bavaria and Württemberg it was usual to swap the brandenburg with the swedish ones. Here I have an example of Inf.Rgt.125 with all their fieldgrey uniforms

Like me... I always forget to look into Pietsch. By having a huge library one don´t know which jewels are in the shelf...

Hello! These are very interesting infos!!!! Brilliant! Thaks for sharing! Additionally to your infos I can add, that Major Bayer cam from the Inf.Rgt.27 (by chance the same number..) The bataillon consisted of four Jäger companies, one engineer company, one MG company, one platoon light field-howitzers and one music-corps. It was dissolved february, 13 in 1918

Hi Chip! We have different "Litewka´s key features" 1893: Litewka with red red collar-patch, covered buttons. In that time the rank-chevrons came out: Gefreiter: One white chevron (with a coloured line for the state), made from "Borte" Unteroffizier: One chevron from Tresse Sergeant: One Unteroffizier chevron and a Gefreiten-Chevron above Fähnrich and Vizefeldwebel: Two chevrons Feldwebel: Three Chevrons 1900: Litewka with four visible pockets 1903: Litewka with two visible pockets The "Pietsch" says, that at 7.6.1894 the rank insignias were the same as at the Waffenrock. Only the Feldwebel held his three chevrons. That doesn´t fit to my pichture, because he has two cocades. I assume he wears his old Litewka around 1897/98